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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · pound · cap · spring · saw · mate · branch · safe

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mate — a partner
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pound — a weight
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cap — a lid
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com